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David Galbreath - New York to London


I feel that I should make the following point - that the David in New York and the David in London are positively established as one and the same person.

Principal sources of evidence that reoccur in the surviving records in New York and London :-

- The reference to David GALBREATH & wife Cornelia STITES (an American) in the Registers of New York Presbyterian & Islington Lower St Church, London, and burial books in New York and London. The Stites surname being the middle name of their son John, their first child baptised in London in 1791 and recorded as John Stites Galbreath in the aforesaid Islington, London Register.

- Kentucky Court report between the heirs of John Stites & the heirs of David Galbreath, the Galbreath heirs being mentioned as non-residents of this Commonwealth (of America). Cornelia's father John Stites spent his final years in Georgetown, Scott County, Kentucky.

- David is mentioned in trade directories in NY in 1786 and in London in the 1790's, and is also shown paying Rates on his Highbury property (in Islington Parish) from 1797-1811. This address matches entries in the Bunhill Fields, London burial book for Cornelia and a infant son. Cornelia's name survived through the children of another 3 generations in London, and her son John was given Stites as a middle name. Also in Noreen Oliver's family lore there survived the story that they were descended from a American heiress, no doubt referring to "lost" American property referred to below. 

- David's business relationship/friendship with Thomas ELMES. Elmes appears in several times in documents associated with the Galbreath's as mentioned in the following, as does Andrew "Uncle" Mitchell, who married Cornelia's sister Margaret Stites, and is listed with David in the NY directory 1786 (see above) and also mentioned in David's letter from Gibraltar of 1812.

- David's property dealings, mostly involving Thomas Elmes. Also the same property dealings sometimes list David as variously described as "of New York", "late of the City of New York Merchant", "of London".

- The mention of American deeds and properties by David's daughter Cornelia (in England) in letters in 1834 & 1835, and the possibility of her brother David Galbreath jnr taking the deeds to America to claim the  properties back for the Galbreath family.

- Also I doubt two couples would have this combination of names - Galbreath & Stites.

Follow the various links from David's page to see the documentation from principal sources in more detail.
 


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